Southern Gardening: Butterfly bush welcomes namesake

I think all gardeners love to see butterflies visit their gardens in the summer months. If you want more butterflies this year, start planning now what to plant this spring to attract them.I want to tell you about two of my favorite plants that are guaranteed to attract these garden visitors.Butterfly bush has a loose growing habit that should never be contained by pruning. The flowers are sweetly fragrant clusters of tiny blooms that come in various shades of white, blue, purple, pink, red and even yellow. Flowers are displayed on arching, graceful stems. Butterflies and hummingbirds love these flowers.Plant butterfly bushes in the full sun for best flowering. Shade will reduce their flowering, and the plant will become thin and leggy. Butterfly bushes can handle hot, dry weather, but water them deeply a couple of times a month during drought conditions.